Review of Kidnap (2017) by Nandan C — 11 Aug 2017

This is an intelligent action movie. It's a rare and vanishing breed. Those who have seen and enjoyed Steven Spielberg's "Duel" will enjoy this one too. It's almost an updated version of "Duel".

Here, of course, we get to see faces -- plenty of them. But the faces are faceless. They don't really matter. There aren't any really good guys. You want the mom to win. But she's no angel.

Halle Berry is Wonder Mom, not Wonder Woman. Her super-power is her minivan. The amount of crap that van takes is just unbelievable. It's indestructible. It's only written out of the movie when it is no longer required.

Seriously, James Bond would be proud to have this van for his wife and kids. But Q would have a hard time manufacturing it. Still, the suspense/action combination is excellent! Just when you think she's lost, she wins.

Just when you think she's won, another bad guy pops up. There isn't even one-quarter of a second when you aren't on the edge of your seat. It's non-stop. There is no story. Three and a half (see the movie) kidnappers with shit for brains (and looks) are up against Halle Berry's pretty face, perfect make-up, invincible minivan, and amazing, Batman-like detective skills.

And this is after being beaten, shot, strangled, and crushed in her van. Imagine what she would be like at her best. It's really no contest. But it's fun, all the same. Ignore the inconsistencies and just watch the movie.

Halle Berry is a divorced waitress with a $50,000 minivan. She has time to chitchat with a cop in a police-station but no time to fill up gas. Ignore these things. It's the movie that matters. Watch it.

It's fun. It's intelligently crafted. It's well-presented. It is, in the very best and most technical sense, a "well-made movie". It's climax, through and through. There's no inciting action, rising action, falling action, or resolution.

The movie ends like "Thelma and Louise" in reverse. They drive off a cliff. Halle Berry climbs up a cliff (metaphorically). But the movie ends at the edge of the cliff, in both cases. It ends in darkness and confusion, not blue skies and clarity.

There's good news but we know there's a shadow hanging over it, in the end. But you know this only if you think. Otherwise, you just say "Hooray!" and clap and go home. Still, I doubt that you will get better value for your $10 this year.

This is an incredibly good movie, overall.